package com.ilearn.iodata.iolingo.service.metadata.core.edm.mapper.api;

import java.util.Collection;

/**
 * Created by lyndon on 2018/5/29.
 */
public interface Expression<T> extends Selection<T> {

    /**
     *  Create a predicate to test whether the expression is null.
     *  @return predicate testing whether the expression is null
     */
    Predicate isNull();

    /**
     *  Create a predicate to test whether the expression is
     *  not null.
     *  @return predicate testing whether the expression is not null
     */
    Predicate isNotNull();

    /**
     * Create a predicate to test whether the expression is a member
     * of the argument list.
     * @param values  values to be tested against
     * @return predicate testing for membership
     */
    Predicate in(Object... values);

    /**
     * Create a predicate to test whether the expression is a member
     * of the argument list.
     * @param values  expressions to be tested against
     * @return predicate testing for membership
     */
    Predicate in(Expression<?>... values);

    /**
     * Create a predicate to test whether the expression is a member
     * of the collection.
     * @param values  collection of values to be tested against
     * @return predicate testing for membership
     */
    Predicate in(Collection<?> values);

    /**
     * Create a predicate to test whether the expression is a member
     * of the collection.
     * @param values expression corresponding to collection to be
     *        tested against
     * @return predicate testing for membership
     */
    Predicate in(Expression<Collection<?>> values);

    /**
     * Perform a typecast upon the expression, returning a new
     * expression object.
     * This method does not cause type conversion:
     * the runtime type is not changed.
     * Warning: may result in a runtime failure.
     * @param type  intended type of the expression
     * @return new expression of the given type
     */
    <X> Expression<X> as(Class<X> type);
}
